The Stubborn Tortoise

I  returned to running, a bit, this week. So far, so good. Had a social distance ride with my friend, Maria and got to have lunch with my very good friends, the Montalvos on Memorial Day. Yes, we social distanced. Things feel a little closer to normal, but to be honest, as the US inches toward 100,000 deaths, I made a grim observation: as of April 24, we had 51,000 deaths. Thirty days later,...

After almost three months, I pulled the trigger and set up a "play date" with my friend, Maria. We met up at Hot Wells ruins on Sunday morning and took a socially distanced bike ride. It was so much fun and nice to have a conversation with someone in person and not feel like we were "cheating." My ankle is officially sprained, which means running is on hiatus for a few weeks. This is going to be i...

I am joined by  Donald Flynn of San Antonio and returning guests, Kathy and Orlando Montalvo of Mission, Texas. We talk about the complications of training for virtual races and whether the "real" races we're signed up for later in the year will actually happen. Flynn and the Montalvos are signed up for the Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1,000K. Essentially, you run 620 miles between &nb...

Trying to keep a normal schedule during this crisis is challenging. I miss working aid stations and wonder what  they'll be like as we move forward. We used to joke about people drinking from the same cup or getting their hands in the snacks. "Eh, we're trail runners, this is what we do. " But I wonder about what they'll be like. Running still remains something I want to do but I feel distrac...

I have known Kathy for a while -- through her husband, Orlando -- originally. They are two of my dearest friends. Kathy is a newish runner,  but she's done a boatload of ultras,  including three hundos. She's a little new to the Master's scene, but a worthy contender. She's extraordinary in that she hasn't quit a race yet and just chugs along at a decent pace. Photo: Kathy finishing her...

Not much running happening these days. It takes so much mental energy to get through each day that I feel spent. And when  I do run, it feels stressful navigating groups of people. I reflect on the story of my mom and purple roses and try to be uplifting. Photo: Mission Espada in San  Antonio

How do runners stay motivated to get moving when races are canceled and groups have disbanded? I know this is a First-World problem, but it is something that the running community considers. This is a Zoom call with Jeff Rhodes, Orlando and Kathy Montalvo and Sara Hernandez, one  of my former students. We managed to persuade Sara to come to the dark side and become a trail runner! Photo: Scre...

After two weeks of struggling with allergy-induced laryngitis, I have finally returned. I weigh in on how this pandemic is affecting me and I try to share some optimism, along with a rant or two. The best part of my days is when I get to "see" my students for class meetings, talk to my sister and friends. Had a Zoom meetup on Sunday  afternoon and it went really well. Got to chat up my friend...

This is the story of Lynn Hauka, 62, a master's runner living in San Antonio. She just placed first in master's at the Spider Mountain race last month and is fairly new to trail running. She will tackle her first ultra in November at Dinosaur Valley.

Felt really good on Saturday at the Prickly Pear trail race. I ran much of it and felt great. Hilariously, I still managed to place last in my age group. Nonetheless, went back out there for 6 bonus miles. Starting to feel more confident about my abilities as I eye the Brazos Bend 50K next month. Ha, ha...I signed up for that last week. And I managed to crash the Alamo 26.2 during a run on Sunday.

Drop bags are an important part of trail racing -- especially when doing ultra-distance races. Here are some tips I've gathered over the years to make creating your drop bag a cinch.

This is the first in an occasional series about master's runners. My good friend, Louisa Escamilla, was picked as my first guest. She is a cancer survivor and recently broke her ankle on a descent at Bandera. She's healing up but is eager to get back at it. She is one of the toughest runners I know. Photo: Sullivan  City trails a few years ago.

I literally had to pull this episode out of my, well, you know. And it's a pretty important aspect of trail running, but not something discussed in polite company. So, if you're offended by this sort of stuff, feel free to skip to the last three minutes. Also, here is the link to my favorite 50K training plan. 

I finally had a great race -- probably one of my favorites of all time. I ran the half marathon on Saturday at the Rocky Raccoon 50 at Huntsville State Park. I LOVE this course. I did watch my step with the roots and made some trail friends, so my time wasn't super-fast. But I'm satisfied with how it all went. Great weather, vibe and course made it a great experience.

Sometimes, you have to decide if it's better to set aside personal goals and help someone else. Plus an update on my intentions for Rocky Raccoon on Feb. 8. And I talk about plans for an occasional feature on master's athletes. Photo: Carly and Javi.

Injury or nagging aches and pains can really be a drag. I am on the fence about gutting out a 50K next weekend versus playing it safe and running a half marathon. I have an achy hip and don't want to be debilitated, so my decision will be made next week. Also, I share an inspiring message from a fellow runner who just earned a beauty of a buckle at a 108K over the weekend. Here is the link to Loui...

It really helps to have a training group, because if you're me, you will occasionally decide it's OK to not do what you're planning to do. It also helps to have a running buddy. In my case, it's Maria,  who is about my pace and makes easy conversation. I also ran my first 5K in about 5 years. It was surprisingly OK. Also, I give y'all an update on Louisa, who broke her ankle last week during...

I ended up losing my friends at a race due to a handful of stupid delays/impediments on Sunday at the Hoke One One Bandera trail run.  Those delays led to me being where I needed to be at the end after a friend got seriously injured during a fall.  Photo: Louisa, Kelly. and Vero. Photo by: Julio Montalvo of Counterpunch Media

I spent my New Year running (and walking) for six hours from midnight to 6 am for a good cause . It also provided an avenue to mend a fence or two, as well as provide some much-needed confidence. I also discuss my upcoming races, including one where I will travel to Wisconsin, of all places!

Since it's That Time of Year, I wanted to share with you some of my suggestions for gear for the runner in your life. Or, maybe yourself! You are an experiment of one, so take my suggestions as just that. If you have no ideas, a gift certificate to a local running store is always a winner. :) Photo features Rabbit tank top and shorts and an Amphipod handheld bottle.

I had an epiphany near the end of a run on Saturday. It led to facing past demons and the baggage that comes with it. It may trigger some with eating disorders, so be warned. This one deals with self-worth, self-image, a borderline eating disorder and depression. It is also about not blaming people for the hand you're dealt. Ultimately, this is uplifting. I am good. It was hard finding a photo for...

It's easy to underestimate a race or training run when things have gone well for a long while. Well, I learned that struggles can sneak up on you after a good streak. Pushing through and reminding yourself that things won't always be there tomorrow are important lessons. Photo of me and Judith on the rock dome at Reveille Peak Ranch.

Two super-cool things happened on Saturday: I got to run my favorite trail race of the year, and I caught up with some good friends from the Rio Grande Valley. This is kind of an homage to the RGV, the place where I first discovered trail running. I also talk about a race I did over the summer in the RGV, which is held at my favorite running spot. Oh, and a shout-out to a guy from Houston named Sh...

This is episode 20!!!! On Sunday, I rang a cowbell, filled up water bottles, made some sort of crappy peanut butter, banana and honey tortillas, all while encouraging the folks doing the Hill Country Trivium. It's a road race put on by Brad and Nyla Quinn, of Tejas Trails, but it's a hilly challenge. Two college seniors stole our hearts as they claimed their first marathon, accidental ultra and DF...

This is a podcast about a podcast. Hence the Russian nesting dolls reference. I got to watch the recording of my favorite running podcast, "Ten Junk Miles," and meet its host, Scott Kummer. He shared a little podcasting intel at the end of the evening. I tried not to fangirl. Inexplicably, I manage to work in a reference to my new favorite artist, Orville Peck, whom I also met a month ago. Peck ha...